About to Be Induced

After all of the struggles with this pregnancy, the time has finally come for her to come out. As I've mentioned previously, I've been watched for preeclampsia during this entire pregnancy. My doctor has been out of town for weeks and finally returned last week. Before my weekly appointment with her, I had already received a phone call from the office asking me to bring a list of my blood pressure readings. I was hoping that they would talk to me about induction at this point.

The next day at the doctor's office, my thoughts were confirmed and they wanted to take her out soon. They sent me to the hospital to monitor me and conduct a non-stress test to monitor the baby. The performed another ultrasound on her just to make sure she was okay. As I was leaving the hospital, they set it up with the hospital that I would be sent for an induction on Sunday night. I was excited but completely nervous and terrified.

Throughout this pregnancy many people have been giving me their opinions and suggestions. Some of the biggest threads of these opinions and suggestions have dealt with either breastfeeding or delivering her. There are a lot of people who obviously push hard for breastfeeding which is fine because I was planning on it; however, there are a lot of people who are against C-sections or inductions. Now, I completely trust my doctor. If my doctor says hey it's time to conduct a C-section that I would hands down let her make that call. I haven't been doing very well health wise this entire time and an induction seemed like the best choice.

Now am I terrified? Of course. My body technically isn't ready to have the baby and we're forcing it to do it. But, after the now constant hospital stints (three within 4 weeks) I didn't want all these issues to start effecting her. I have to monitor my blood pressure three times a day, take medication twice a day, and really be critical of kick counts since apparently they are much more critical in higher risk pregnancies than non-complicated ones. The amount of pressure I felt to protect her was overwhelming and I'm not trying to complain because I would do this again in a heartbeat, but I didn't want to make the wrong call and risk hurting her because of my stupidity. I would never be able to forgive myself.

So here I am terrified and nervous about what is to come but so excited to finally see her. Finally able to rest a little bit more because my health can no longer effect her. I just want her to be okay. I'm sure I'll feel this way for the rest of my life. In the next 24-48 hours my life is abut to completely change. It's funny how you feel like you've been preparing for this moment the entire time during your pregnancy, but nothing makes it feel more real than an actual timeline. When I walk out this door tonight I'll be coming back with someone else. Everything will be different, but you know what - it'll be amazing. I cry when I think about it because it honestly is an amazing experience.

I can't wait to update everyone on everything once she's born, but for now I just wanted to capture how I feel at this moment.

At the End of the Road

I've got about 2.5 weeks to go until she gets here and I'm anxious and nervous and excited all at once. It seems as if those nine months you have of preparing for their arrival still isn't enough and you're truly never ready for them to come. I guess it'll finally hit me when those first labor pains come and I don't have any other choice but to have her right then and there.

Last week we had a minor scare but it made me realize that this is almost it. I had one of my weekly appointments and my blood pressure was pretty high. High enough where they sent me straight to the hospital. My mom was actually with me this time and I had to remain completely calm as I told her we had to head to the hospital instead of heading home. I knew she was freaking out but she tried to hide it as best as she could.

We get to the hospital and I get into the triage quickly. After a couple hours of monitoring they decide to admit overnight for additional monitoring. During that time I have to start the 24 hour protein in the urine test and non-stress tests of the baby. Luckily she's a little trooper and it seems like this isn't effecting her at all. I did get to see her twice and it seems like she's ready to go lol. She has a lot of hair which isn't surprising since my heartburn is ridiculous. My husband stayed with me overnight and honestly - he was beyond amazing. I know it's a husband's duty to be with you and support you, but I can honestly say my husband did more than that. It almost brings tears to my eyes as I write this because I'm really appreciative of everything he did for me while I was at the hospital. He's not the most romantic man in the entire world (he is romantic but not movie romantic), but he cares about me more than anything else and he really showed it while he was taking care of me during my hospital stay. I love him so so much.

Luckily my 24 hour protein in the urine test showed really good results and so they decided to release me. They put me on medication to control my blood pressure and it seems to be working. I've got my next doctor's appointment with my regular doctor... which I'M so EXCITED about because I haven't been the biggest fan of these standby doctors lol. I'm hoping my doctor wants to induce early due to medical concerns. It's not that I just want her here, it's the fact that I don't want my health to effect her in any way - and the longer I'm pregnant the higher the probability is she could be effected. I can't wait to see her. She's already absolutely perfect.

She's Almost Here!!!

For as good intentions as I wanted to have, I just can't seem to keep up with blogging. Instead I have to catch all of you up with what's been going on. So here we go:

  • I'm still on watch for preclampsia but after my last appointment they're not as concerned as they originally were.
  • I have major ridiculous heartburn all of the time and it completely sucks. 
  • I entered a pregnant lady dance contest and lost.
  • Her room is almost done and I can't wait until absolutely everything is done.
  • We have our last "baby class" tomorrow and even though I find it annoying, I'm excited and relieved to go. 
  • I'm technically on bedrest but can't seem to bring myself to actually rest in a bed; I actually think I'm more active around the house. 
  • I have serious carpel tunnel and my hands are numb 90% of the time. 
  • I took maternity pictures and LOVED them. I'll post some below. 
As much as I'm looking forward to her arrival. I'm so scared. Scared that I won't be a good parent, scared about how much labor is going to suck, and just scared about taking care of a tiny little human being that can't fend for herself.

I've got 33 days until my due date but I feel like this time is going to fly. For Christmas, my husband and I decided to buy joint practical gifts for each other instead of going our own separate ways for gift buying. Together we bought a professional camera to take pictures of our precious littler girl, a rower to get our butts back into shape, and a Roomba to clean our house so we don't have to!!! Overall, it was a win in our household. I hope that I can learn how to take great pictures so I can post them and show off my mad skills. Hahaha. I'll try to post again before she's born... if not... happy trails until the next post!!!




The Aftermath

Again, sorry to take a while to get back to blogging. I really wanted to have a better day to day documentation of pregnancy life. This whole growing a person inside of you is really tolling and napping is a much better option than anything else lol. But, I really wanted a follow-up post after my last post.

My last post got a huge response. There were people who reached out to me who I haven't spoken to in ages, just sending their love and support my way. I read other women's struggles and couldn't help but cry. Why? Well, because these women all felt the way I did sad and alone. Going through a silent struggle and hoping to come out on the other side; all of them did.

Today I read another heartbreaking story of a friend of mine who had a miscarriage. She actually posted it on Facebook and I couldn't help but silently applaud her. It's about time women share their experiences good (and bad) to get the emotional support they need to get them through whatever comes their way. For the record, the response she received was overwhelming.

I continue to hear awful stories of women who just want to have a baby and it breaks my heart. I understand that feeling and sometimes it can lead you to some dark places. I pray those babies are in heaven looking after their loved ones. I will tell you that this struggle I had made me appreciate this little baby so much and I can't wait to see her. The whole experience as taxing as it has been incredible and everyday you get a surprise lol.

Now, to end this post on a positive note, I'm posting a YouTube video I found today of a couple who has been trying to have a baby for 17 years!!! Until the next post... happy trails :)

My Struggle In Getting Pregnant

I'm not too sure how well received this post will be. However, I felt like it was time for me to finally share my story. It's not an awful story, but it's one not too many people know about. People mostly don't know about it because who really feels that comfortable telling someone that they're trying to get pregnant and have been trying for over a year? That you feel as though something is wrong with you and you can't get an answer until after you hit the year mark. So here goes my story. I'm hoping that in sharing it, it'll make people more comfortable asking questions and talking to each other about it.

So even though I've already given you a preview, I figured I would give you a little bit more background. I've been trying to get pregnant for well over a year. During that time I was trying to get answers for that pesky "heart condition" that I started noticing probably about 2ish years ago. I figured that before I created another life inside of me, I should figure out if my heart condition was going to effect a baby in any way. After a bunch of testing, they determined that I should be fine once I'm pregnant. During this time we stopped trying for a month. Each month I would be disappointed over not being pregnant. I just didn't understand. I knew that 6-12 months was a normal timeframe, but honestly, I didn't know anyone my age who had this problem.

Not. One. Single. Person.

As much as I was excited for my friends' pregnancies (and trust me I was), I couldn't help but feel broken. Like something was wrong with me and that I might not be able to fix it. You can try to go to your doctor before a year of trying to get testing, but they'll tell you the same thing everyone else tells you - it's normal. Let me tell you something, it's not normal to you. And no matter what anyone else tells you, you still feel empty inside. And you know what - that to me is normal.

My husband tried reassuring me that everything was okay and that we would have a baby no matter what,either biologically or through adoption. That we we're destined to be parents. And you know what, I'm lucky to have a husband who shared that belief with me. I'll never forget that moment he told me to look at his benefits package for the new job he got in July. When I got to the adoption section I absolutely lost it. His company helped provide a stipend to those employees who wanted to adopt. It was as though we had gotten a sign.

Fast forward to the week I found out I was pregnant. The first day I suspected it, I took a pregnancy test that night and it came back negative. I was absolutely crushed and so was my husband. He kept asking me how accurate those tests were and I finally snapped. I lost it and pretty much told him to leave me alone. We agreed to call the doctor the next day. So I called the doctor and had to admit out loud that we were having trouble and wanted to look into further testing. They made my appointment for the following week and that was that.

That night I called the doctor I went to Orange Theory and something felt off. My "below average" heart rate was all over the place. I started thinking... that maybe that test wasn't as accurate as I had suspected. But, I decided to wait one more day before testing again. So the next night I took the test again and guess what? I had a super faint pink line. (Side note: Those stupid pregnancy tests are awful to read; you strain your eyes looking for that stupid pink line). I decided to take a digital one that told you if you were "pregnant" or "not pregnant" the next day.  When I took it I was so anxious. I literally felt crazy excitement and sheer terror when I saw I was pregnant. I woke my husband up at 5:00AM and said holy sh*% I really am pregnant. He kinda laughed it off and fell back asleep. When I called the doctor back it was almost comical. I ended up getting the same lady I had originally made the appointment with and we just laughed it off.

I thought the worst part would be over but it wasn't. Once you finally get pregnant, there is all his worry about having a miscarriage. Since it took me so long to even get pregnant that anxiety felt 10 times worse. No one talks about miscarriages and almost everyone you talk to makes you feel as though you will end up having one. It's awful. I fell into a deep sadness mixed in with a constant state of being worried. I was so negative just because I felt like I had to prepare for the worst. Luckily I didn't end up having one, but other women aren't so lucky and as much as you try to sympathize with them  - I don't think you can really know what it feels like unless you have gone down that road yourself.

I'm now well into my second trimester and counting down the days until the third trimester. I still worry about her all of the time. Hoping that she is healthy and the whole labor process is like 2 seconds long lol. I can't control what happens from here on out, but I still worry about it. I think worrying is the first natural stage of being a parent. I guess this is what it's like to be a good parent too. Some parents could give two craps about their kids, and that's not okay. It's unnatural.

I still try to take it one day at a time. I'm on these pregnancy forums where you read about some of the awful things that can happen even this late in the game. I have trust in God that everything will be okay, and honestly, if not, I know He has a plan for me. I'd probably be a wreck still, but I can't control it. For now, I'm trying to be more positive about this pregnancy and enjoying the major milestones I'm hitting. I'm sure I'll keep blogging giving pieces of my pregnancy to the public and hoping that in one way or another it helps someone else out. Until my next post, happy trails :)


How to Avoid Being Killed by a Pregnant Woman




Image result for pregnant women ecards

Pre-pregnancy I was irrational on some days. I would have an occasional flare-up but for the most part I was even-keeled. I was bad at communicating and wanted most people to read in between the lines. I loved chocolate and was able to eat whatever I want since I worked out like a maniac. I didn't cry at every commercial and I never really got sick.

Now, I am irrational almost everyday. One little thing can set me off for the rest of the day and I can't recover. I blurt out the truth and now no longer really "sugar-coat" everything. I can no longer really eat any of the foods that I love and my working out routine is reduced to walking and getting steps in for my Fitbit. I cry at every commercial and am sick almost every day.

So why am I telling you this? Because I'm trying to save you from pregnant women. We don't really have any rationale or logic to our moods, but here are some of the things we hate:
  • People telling us how "big" we are.
  • Giving us opinions about how we should raise our unborn child.
  • Talking to us about what foods we should eat (this is a big one - avoid this at all costs).
  • Referring to us as "belly."
  • Telling us "it's not a big deal."
  • Making any smartarse comment - assess our moods before doing this.
  • Asking why we're crying - we don't know so we can't answer you.
Now, I'm just pointing out some of the things that bother me but every pregnant woman is different. The one thing you really want to look for is any indication that we might be peeved or irritated. If not, you'll end up on an episode of snapped.



Some of you might not care about this information, but some of you might avoid being killed by pregnant woman and earn bonus points for avoiding all of our most hated things. You're welcome.


Pregnancy Struggles

One of the things that pregnancy has taught me is that I cannot control my weight. For someone who used to be anorexic, this is a really hard fact for me to accept. I always knew I would have issues with gaining weight, and it doesn't help that I've gained a lot more than my doctor would like me to. I haven't been anorexic since college, but that doesn't mean that body image issues haven't affected me. I guess the reason why I wanted to share this was because so many women try to hide everything negative that has to do with pregnancy. I'm still struggling with this, but am hoping to do better the second half of my pregnancy.

I understand that pregnancy is a beautiful thing and I'm so grateful for this little being inside of me. Feeling her kicking inside of me has been really cool. Sometimes she kicks me a little too hard for my liking but I poke her a lot in there so I get it lol.

I have less than 19 weeks until she gets here and even though it might be too late, I'm going to try to be a little better about everything: sleep, hydration, "working out," and eating. I'll keep you updated on my progress!



Almost Halfway There...

So it's been a while since I've posted. Mostly, because I've gotten really busy the last couple of weeks. A lot has happened since the last time I posted. I'll highlight some of these things:
  • I got into a fender bender at work (dealing with insurance companies is a nightmare and I'm STILL dealing with this almost two months later).
  • My husband got into a minor car accident driving to work (luckily he has a truck so he didn't get too much impact).
  • I had a work conference for a couple of days in Buckhead, GA (I got to see one of my best friends which was AWESOME).
  • They thought I was starting to get preeclampsia (this has been fun but I think that my blood pressure is spiking up due to nerves).
I'm hoping I turn to this blog a little bit more because this whole experience has been a rollercoaster and it would be cool to document. Plus, I feel like I have a somewhat humorous view to pregnancy.

I'll spare you all of the overwhelming details that I've been excited about, but I'll highlight some of them:
  • We CONFIRM gender on FRIDAY!! We know what we're having but we're hoping it was the same gender they initially told us.
  • I'm in the process of trying to find a daycare. This whole process has been pretty ridiculous. It's kind of funny though and I already feel like that crazy mom that people talk about at school.
  • I've finally felt Baby Darbut moving around like an Olympic gymnast in my stomach. This has been neat/extremely creepy all at the same time. For someone who doesn't like surprises, this whole pregnancy thing is like a giant EFF you. I am that girl who can't open those Pillsbury roll cans from the fridge for fear of the "pop" sound and here I am with a mini alien kicking me whenever he/she feels like it. Fun - let me tell you.
Overall, pregnancy has been rough. I secretly thought this whole thing would be a walk in the park, but I'm wrong - DEAD wrong. On the bright side, I have a pretty awesome husband who has been dealing with my crazy arse. For example, I had my first real hormonal breakdown yesterday and when he saw it unfolding before his eyes, he laughed and said he's impressed I've lasted this long without having one. And you know what? It made me laugh.

I'll be posting pictures soon and starting to talk about other interesting things I've learned during my pregnancy. None of that frou-frou girly crap. I'm talking about the stuff that girls deal with during pregnancy and how to avoid being killed by a pregnant woman. I'm telling you, you'll want to stay tuned for this. Until then.. happy trails :)

So... I'm Pregnant!!!

It's true!!! We couldn't be happier, but this whole morning sickness/all day illness has kicked my butt and has deterred me from blogging. In order to welcome our newest addition to our sweet little family here is a picture of our announcement!


I must admit that this whole pregnancy thing is much harder than I anticipated. I've been tired, sick, and not in the mood to workout which is very unlike me. I have succumbed to a lifestyle of inactivity, and as much as it's appealing, it's definitely not healthy.

I stopped running once I found out I was pregnant because I was scared. It's hard to get past that mental block that running won't hurt the baby. I mean when you think about it, it makes sense because the baby is a tiny little thing that is protected with a whole lot of cushioning. Combine this fear with feeling sick and tired, and you can't blame me for just staying home and sleeping or drinking ginger ale.

However, this week everything changed. I'm slowly starting to feel better and decided to stop the rapid weight gain (I've gained over 10 pounds in the first trimester when they only recommend that you gain about 5-7 pounds). I know this doesn't sound like a huge number, but I am a big believer that once you let weight slowly creep on, those 10 pounds will turn into 60 pounds, and so on.

So you can say that I let life happen. I gave in to the easier path for a little while. And you know what? It's okay. Because life happens and we have to deal with it and move on. So to celebrate the fact that I feel better, I started working out again. Since I stopped running completely about 6 weeks ago, I knew that I just couldn't get back into it. I decided to start training again with a program I put together for my beginners. It's just a simple 30 minute workout that consists of 3 minutes "easy" with 1 minute "hard." I decided to make my "hard" a slow jog so I can start back into my "jogging career."
In total I had about 8 minutes of jogging within the 30 minute block. I'll try to do this workout three times a week for now and in three weeks I will change it up.

I also bought some pregnancy videos and hope to incorporate those into my workout week as well. Now, I'm not trying to lose weight or try to get back into my running career. All I simply want to do is be healthier. I also want to be able to feel good about myself after I have the baby. All I've ever wanted is to show my child is that I am strong. I am someone that they could feel proud of and respect. And if anything, I can show them how hard work and dedication pay off and how good that can make you feel.

I am so beyond excited about this baby. I've already started worrying about him or her. And yes, I'm already paranoid about everything. Although I know this baby will change my life (for the better), I don't want to give up the part of my life that I've loved since forever: running. And you know what else? I know I won't give it up, but I'll blend it in with my life. Winning top three overall will no longer be as important to me as spending time with my baby, and that's okay. Funny how something so little can change our lives. But like I said, it's okay because it's changed myself for the better. And that's all we try to do for ourselves every day - become a better version of ourselves.

Stay tuned to see what else life brings us... I promise I'll try to keep up my blog much more frequently than I have in the past three months. And until my next blog post, happy trails :)

One Week Until the Golf Tournament

So today officially marks a week until the golf tournament. I'm honestly praying that I am blessed by the golf gods and magically become stellar at golf. I have been practicing the last couple of days. Trying my hardest to focus on the only 2 things I think I can do well during the tournament: hit the bar far and putt. Tomorrow I will go on the golf range and continue my practice. I must admit that I've been sore after I go to the range. I guess I'm working a different set of muscles.

In the meantime I've been continuing my regular activities: Orange Theory and running. Last week I attended my run club where I actually ran at a slower pace than usual. Thursday I tried an early Orange Theory class in the morning and I really enjoyed it (I'm actually doing it again this week). Friday I had my typical workout after work day and Saturday I ran 4 miles.

This week I started my week with Orange Theory which was awesome because my favorite instructor came back post-baby. Let me tell you something - she looks absolutely fantastic. I hope that happens to me whenever I have kids lol. Anyways she totally kicked my butt: we split our time between the treadmill, rower, and the weight room. The time blocks were not like our typical time blocks, but I know I spent about 18-20 minutes on the treadmill where we had to run a variety of "push" intervals and "sprint intervals." These intervals typically didn't last for more than 2 minutes and were followed up by a recovery at "base" pace.

In the weight room we spent about 10-15 minutes and our workouts consisted of: squats with a snatch (20 pound weights - what?!??!?); hammer curls, tricep extensions on the SBT straps, squats with a reverse fly, and alternating superman leglifts. On the rower we spent 15-20 minutes getting some rowing in couple with strength exercises with a megaball and squat. At the very end of class we spent about 5 minutes targeting the core with different exercises. Overall, a win for the workout.

Tomorrow I'll get a nice 3 mile run in - I can't wait!!! Until the next blog post: Happy Trails!!

Why Hello Cool Weather!

This past week the weather has been amazing. Nothing like a nice cooler temperature for running! I guess this is the last nice weather we'll have before the hot and humid spring and summer. I'll take it for now!

The last couple of weeks I've been pretty much following the same routine: Monday night is Orange theory night; Tuesday night I get a casual 3-4 miles in; Wednesday night I lead my run club; Thursday night is another Orange Theory night; Friday afternoon I work out at the gym at work; Saturday is my long run and Sunday I rest!

However this week my schedule is thrown in for a loop... First off I did not go to Orange Theory on Monday. Instead I actually rested (odd I know lol)! Tonight I decided to go to the Hollywood run club with some of my runner friends. I laugh because I figured this would be my one opportunity to go unnoticed in another run club. However, I was automatically introduced as the Weston Run Club president to the group and ended up getting acknowledged front and center by the club's president. Talk about embarrassing lol. All in all, it was a great run with lots of cool perks and a nice social environment. Although it was a far trek to get there, I wouldn't mind doing the run again. I did manage to enjoy the breeze from the ocean and pulled a great 22:02 for 3 miles. Not too shabby for a mid week run.

Tomorrow I'll be leading my run club. It's kind of cool because we will be giving out free race entries which is a pretty cool thing to give away to members. One of our members actually got some of the race reps out for us and they'll be able to advertise for their race and hand out some goodies. I love how the runner community just continues to look out for each other.

In another news, I decided to pick up golf. Weird, I know. I guess I should mention that I signed up for a work golf tournament and now feel the need to not look like a total idiot on the field. So not only have I been practicing, but I've also bought some sweet new gear to play the part. I must say that golf attire for women is completely outdated and frumpy. I managed to get some cute stuff, but it was pretty difficult to do.  I can't wait to post pictures. The golf tournament is in about two weeks which adds to this whole ridiculousness, considering that I've never played before. Just pray that I don't have a melt down lol.

So, that's about it. I'll try to blog tomorrow so I can have two consecutive blog posts for once! Until then... Happy trails!!!

Getting RRCA Certified!!

So it's been a couple of weeks since my last blog so let me provide you with a brief pre-cap of some exciting things that have been going on!

Last week I had Nesquik come out to provide free chocolate milk and giveaways to our group. It was pretty awesome and we had about 50-60 people come out! I must admit that I had a minor panic attack with Nesquik before they actually showed up. I was told they were supposed to be there by 7:15 so when 7:35 rolled around I was in a full fledge panic mode (this happens more than you think lol). After getting their contact information, they thankfully showed up. Here are some pictures of that night:

I love that freaking bunny...

 
I know - cool, right? I can't believe they came. After talking to their marketing people it made sense though. Plenty of people don't realize that chocolate milk makes a great recovery drink. It has the right amount of carbohydrate and protein mix to replace what you lost during your workout.

So you think the excitement would end there, right? Wrong! I took an RRCA Coaching Certification class this weekend. This is actually one of the hardest classes to get into because the limited amount of seating versus the crazy amount of people that are trying to get into the class. Also, they randomly go to certain areas in the region. So a couple of months ago when they released Miami as one of the cities, I literally signed up on the spot. It was like over $350 for the course, but it was something I've wanted to do for myself. I'm glad I did because the class was full by that night.

When I got to the class I was totally stunned. It was at this place in Brickell called 360 energy in motion. The place was absolutely beautiful and completely upgraded. It's funny - when I talked to someone else who took the class in the past, they told me to bring a bunch of snacks because the food sucked. Well, these guys were amazing because our food rocked. I'm actually considering checking out a couple of classes I might be able to go to because it was literally that AMAZING.

A couple of hours into the class and I was flooded with information. The day was long (8-5) and we even had to watch a video before coming to the class (this was the first time they did this so they could save time) as well as finish some homework that night. The first day we covered things like types of athletes, nutrition, physiology, and types of runs. As part of the course we also received a book by Jack Daniel's (no, not the alcohol lol).

That night I worked on the homework for hours... We had to put together a training plan for a man who wanted to try to qualify for the Boston Marathon. It was hard, but I muddled through it. The next day we worked on the training plan as groups and critiqued other plans. We also talked about the psychology of coaching and branding ourselves as coaches. 

Overall, the class was awesome and I really did learn a lot of stuff that I didn't know! I made new friends with a running group down in Miami -Team Redline!! There is definitely a lot of information I need to digest before taking the test (100 question multiple choice test in which you have to score 85% or higher). I just turned in my First Aid/CPR stuff online (you need it to be a coach).

Now, even though I took this class, I did it for fun, but I also figured this was important to do since I'm temporarily in charge of a run club group. I still have a lot to learn; however, I think a lot of what I'm going to learn is by experience. I've started taking on some guinea pigs who are willing to work with me for the experience.

My last step is to pass this test. Once I do I am on a list as a RRCA certified coach that people can contact. Crazy, huh? I'm really excited about this. Not only about the possibility of coaching someone but at incorporating the stuff I learned into my running. That's it for now :) Until the next time... happy trails!!

Right before Day #2

During My Staycation!!!

This week I'm off from work. My husband and I went to a bed and breakfast this past weekend, but we got back into town on Monday and have been home relaxing ever since. Now, since I have the week off, I'm taking advantage of working out whenever I want and getting things done around the house. Let me start the blog off by summarizing this weekend!

I started off the weekend by competing in a local 5k: Runway 5k! This race was really cool. It was originally scheduled sometime during the summer last year, but was delayed due to logistical problems between the race directors and the airport logistics. The race was finally rescheduled for this weekend and I was so happy it didn't end up getting canceled! So like the race name implies, this race was held on one of the newer runways at the airport. Now, as much as they tried to tighten security, they obviously didn't pay attention to runners who brought in backpacks and other running accessories. Honestly, as scary as this sounds, someone could have caused some serious damage at that airport if they really tried. Granted they wouldn't have gotten very far, but still, it was a scary thought to have while you're sitting there waiting for the race to start.

The traffic getting to the race was horrible, and I honestly thought I wasn't going to make the start of the race. Luckily, I got there a couple of minutes before the official start time, but I was all flustered by the time the race started. I bumped into friends and we talked until it was time to go. Once the race started I took off trying my best to maintain a quick pace. I did get pinched between some runners, but managed to maneuver them. There was a steep incline on one of the parts, but I pushed up the hill using my arms for strength. As I sped down the final stretch, I looked at my watch and realized that I could actually finish with a really good time. I tried to keep my focus on some of the faster runners in front of me, matching their footsteps to try to catch up. I crossed the finish line with 22:04. I was floored. I had no idea I was capable of that time right now.

After the race I had breakfast with some other friends and started packing for my trip once I got home. Around lunch time my husband and I packed up the car and headed towards the bed and breakfast. It didn't take us too long to get there. Once we got there we unpacked our stuff and rested for the rest of the night. The weather was horrible so there wasn't too much we could do (except eat the delicious brownies they baked for guests)!

On Sunday I ran 2.75 miles along the boardwalk. I took it easy since I had the race the day before. I usually like working out during vacation since I eat a bunch of crap during the day. By crap I mean food that is drenched with cheese and probably thousands of calories lol. After my run We set out for the local zoo where we spent a couple of hours just looking at all of the animals they had on site. It was actually really fun! The rest of the day was pretty uneventful but super relaxing!

On Monday we drove back home from our weekend getaway. However, before we left we spent an hour at the beach to catch some sun! Once we got home I continued to lay out for a little bit longer. After tanning I decided to hit up the mall in search of a cute bathing suit and workout capris! I didn't find a bathing suit, but I did score some cute capris at Marshalls for 13 bucks each!! For those of you who have never gone capri shopping that's a really good deal (they typically retail for $20 or more)! I hurried home from shopping to an Orange Theory class.

The class wasn't too bad but I am still sore from it. I took an earlier class which was pretty nice because the class wasn't too full. We had two stations: the treadmill/rower and the weight room. Of course I started on the treadmill. That block consisted of: .25 mile run, 250 meters rowing, 10 jump squats, .20 mile run, 200 meter row, 15 jump squats, and finally .15 mile run, 150 meter row, and 20 jump squats. The goal was to do this block twice. I ended up starting my third block before calling time. I averaged about 1:40 minutes for the .25 mile run, a minute or less on the rower for each distance on the row, under 1:20 for the .20 mile run, and under 1:00 for the .15. For the weight room block, we had a mix of exercises such as leg curls with the dolly, squat bicep curls with a thruster, and some exercises with the SBT straps. I swear I can never remember the weight room exercises.

On Tuesday I tried running 3 miles but sprained my ankle about .25 miles into my run. I have weak ankles so this is a common occurrence for me. However, this time it hurt pretty bad. I limped back home and tried not to move it much for the next couple of hours. I did however go to the beach with friends for a couple of hours and had a total blast. I'm a little burned from the sun, but I'm sure it'll  turn into a nice tan! I did cycle that night for about 45 minutes to make sure I got some sort of cardio activity in!

Finally last night was run club; my favorite workout activity of the week. Last night was fun because we had a glow stick run and we were also giving away an iPod shuffle for the plank competition we had. We had a good turn out, about 65 runners total. We ran the usual path because of how dark it has been the last couple of months. The good news is next week we can change the route because of daylight savings!! I'm pretty excited for this since it'll be something different. The other fun part about next week is Nesquik is coming!!!!! I am so beyond excited. I'll make sure to take tons of pictures :)

Today I'll continue doing stuff around the house. Yesterday my husband and I dominated the homeowner world by working on a couple of house projects. I'm getting my hair highlighted again in the next couple of hours, so until then I'll continue folding clothes. This afternoon I've got orange theory and then tonight I've got a church meeting. I swear I've been so busy on my week off, but it feels nice that I've gotten so many things accomplished that haven't been a top priority for me. Until my next blog, happy trails!!

We Run Weston!

So I don't think I've officially mentioned it, but I'm in charge of the local run club for the next couple of months? So how did this happen? Let me tell you!

In the beginning of the year I got an email from the girl in charge of the run club asking me to call her about an opportunity with the run club. I was curious about what she meant by that and called her right away. Once I got on the phone with her, she pretty much told me that she would be tied up the next couple of months and needed someone to hold down the fort in her absence. When she thought about all of the people she could have chosen from, her first thought was me! She said she needed someone who was outgoing, reliable, with a runner physique to be the temporary face of run club, I was so ridiculously honored! Of course I said yes, I mean duh. We said we would talk one more time before I head it up, but she just needed to make sure I was okay with it all. I was on cloud 9!

So far I've led run club about 4 or 5 times! We've had 50-70 people come out so far and it's been a blast!! Is it lame that I kinda love being in charge? I mean you're kinda like a mini celebrity. Plus, I feel like I'm helping people make friendships and run better! Although it's been fun it's still a lot of work! I've got to coordinate a water station out on the course, make sure we have enough water for everyone, grab all the supplies for the club, and ensure I bring the ipad for people to sign waivers. I've also got to meet anyone who is new and talk to them about the club and bring as much energy as I can to make people excited about running. I'm also trying to bring vendors out to the run so people want to come. My goal is to get 100 runners out and to create partnerships with the community!!

So today we had run club again! I found out this morning that a local race company was coming to promote their event and to provide goodies for those members who signed up. They also brought Red Bull to distribute some of their product! We ran 3.77 miles and had about 50 members show up. Overall, good day! What's even better is that I had an absolutely horrible day but run club made me feel better. I came in defeated by the day, and left like I was on top of the world. Not only that, but it seems as though I might have secured an amazing vendor to come out soon ;) ill keep you posted.. Until then... Happy trails ;)

Ps - I started the squat challenge today - 20 squats down!!!

I'm Back!!!

I guess you can say that I've been on a bit of a hiatus. The last four weeks I've been working a bunch of hours and trying to find time to workout when I get the chance. In the meantime I'm trying to have a life and spend time with my husband. That's not impossible, right? Since I got to enjoy this day off I figure I would blog before going to bed.

The last couple of weeks I've been getting my workout routine in by working out later or before heading into work. They say that you make time for the things that are important to you, and I agree completely. This madness should all be done in a week, but it'll be hell until then. So here is to more blogging! I'll start by telling you about my workout today.

Today was another OTF day. Since it was a holiday I got to workout in the middle of the day which is a weird concept to me. The instructor I had today is big on cardio which I always appreciate. Since the class was small we ended up in one big group. Each workout consisted of blocks that were four minutes long. 

The first block was done on the treadmill: three minute push (8.2) with a one minute all out (9.5). The second block was in the weight room: 10 neutral thrusters (15 pounds) and 10 dumbbell swings (25 pounds). The third block was on the row machine: 800 meters in 4 minutes. If you finished early you held a static squat (I held one for 45 seconds).

For the second round, I started the first block on the treadmill: 2.5 minutes push (8.7) with a 45 second base (6.8) and a 45 second all out (10). The second block was in the weight room: 8 dumbbell dead lifts (15 pounds) and 8 (crap I can't remember lol). The third block was on the the row machine: 100 meters doing bicep curls and 100 meters sprint. 

For the third round, I started the first block on the treadmill where we had: 1 minute at base (6.8), 2 minute at a push pace (7) with a 3% incline and a minute all out (8) with a 5% incline. The second block was in the weight room: 10 muscle ups on the SBT straps and 10 "y"s on the SBT straps. The last block was on the rower where we had to do overhead lifts and then row 100 meters. 

This workout was tough and my arms burned!!! They're still burning as we speak. The instructor talked to me after class since I continue to fail to be in huge orange zone. He told me he knows I work hard but my heart rate adapts quickly making it hard for a high heart rate. He told me to push hard in the the beginning and then back off so my heart rate can spike up. I told him that wasn't a bad idea. I'll try it out on Thursday. After class I rode bike back home. It was such a pretty day I figured riding bike to and from the gym would be fun..... And well.... It was :) 

Tomorrow I'm spinning at 5AM so I can get my workout in before work. Nothing crazy. Just a 30 minute spin. I'm also thinking about doing this squat challenge: http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/the-28-day-squat-challenge-youll-want-to-start-now/?utm_source=mfp&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=workouts_20150209&mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRokuanAZKXonjHpfsX66usrUaa%2Bgokz2EFye%2BLIHETpodcMTsNlPa%2BTFAwTG5toziV8R7DBLM153N8QXRTg

Until tomorrow everyone :) 

Elbow Bursitis

Last weekend I had a pain in my elbow before I went to bed. I thought I bruised it, but when I woke up the next morning, I realized it was more than just a bruise.

That night I couldn't sleep. I tossed and turned in bed trying to get comfortable so my elbow would stop hurting. In the morning my elbow was swollen, in pain, and red. Of course I tried to self diagnose myself and came up with elbow bursitis. I even turned to facebook to see if someone had any idea of what I might have. By the afternoon I admitted defeat and ended up going to an urgent care nearby. I waited for about 2 hours, but I didn't care; I was in pain.

They finally took me to the back and asked me some basic questions. After asking me these questions, they decided to take an X-ray of my elbow just to make sure there were no fractures. After the x-ray I went back to my waiting room to wait for the doctor. The doctor came in and gave me the good news: no fracture! She diagnosed me with elbow bursitis! (WebMD for the win!) She prescribed me with antibiotic to prevent infection and also pain meds.

After leaving the urgent care I try to drop-off my prescription at two different places and was completely unsuccessful. As I got into my car after the second failed attempt, I just started crying. I had ended up spending 3 hours in urgent care and felt like absolute crap. I was so over this already and I'd only been in pain for one day. When my husband got home that night and saw how much pain I was in, he had me contact the closest 24 hour pharmacy and drove me to drop off my prescriptions. They ended up filling the prescription and just like that - I had pain meds!!

Fast forward to today. I haven't really been working out which makes me feel crabby and lazy, but I can feel my elbow getting better. I did manage to workout some this weekend: a 6 mile run on Saturday and a warm-up run with 45 minute stationary cycling. It was awesome!! I'm definitely an individual that needs to workout to maintain my sanity.

I'm taking this week off from any weight lifting, but will continue to run. I had my half marathon this coming weekend, but I'm throwing the race to compete in a 10K for cash prizes. Before the injury I was pretty well trained, but right now I feel slow and not all there. I'll just cross my fingers and hope for the best.

Anywho, I'll keep you all apprised of what's going on. It seems like I'll just stick to running this week and return to OTF the following week. No matter how much I miss OTF, I know that resting my elbow is for the best. Trust me; I'm as stubborn as they come. However, I know when injuries are serious, and I need to be smart and just relax or I'll make it worse. Until the next time, happy trails!!

The Start of a New Year...

Every year we make resolutions; commitments to ourselves on ways we are going to improve in the new year. Most of the times these resolutions are health related and are made with good intentions. This year I figured I would do the opposite. Instead of trying to be competitive and over the top with my fitness, I want to slow down and enjoy the things I typically don't have the chance to enjoy. I want to simplify my life instead of making it complicated, and I want to be more honest with the people I care about by communicating what I want or expect from them. These things don't seem hard, but they are to me. It's almost like I'm going against my current lifestyle. I hope these changes last, but if they don't then at least I can say I tried.

Now, regardless of my resolutions, I still make it a point to workout on the first day of the new year. Today's workout was my Orange Theory Fitness class. I took one of the trainers I typically don't take and ended up having a solid workout. His class was hard and consisted of the following"
  • 12 Sumo squats with an upward row (15 pound dumbbells)
  • 12 Backward lunges on each led with weights (15 pound dumbbells)
  • 30 Running Men
  • 12 low row with a deadlift (15 pound dumbbells)
  • 12 knee tucks
  • 150 Meter Row (under 35 seconds)
    • 12 Sumo squats with an upward row (15 pound dumbbells)
    • 150 Meter Row (under 35 seconds)
    • 12 Sumo squats with an upward row (15 pound dumbbells)
    • 12 Backward lunges on each led with weights (15 pound dumbbells)
    • 150 Meter Row (under 35 seconds)
    • 12 Sumo squats with an upward row (15 pound dumbbells)
    • 12 Backward lunges on each led with weights (15 pound dumbbells)
    • 30 Running Men
    • 150 Meter Row (under 35 seconds)
    • 12 Sumo squats with an upward row (15 pound dumbbells)
    • 12 Backward lunges on each led with weights (15 pound dumbbells)
    • 30 Running Men
    • 12 low row with a deadlift (15 pound dumbbells)
    • 150 Meter Row (under 35 seconds)
    • 12 Sumo squats with an upward row (15 pound dumbbells)
    • 12 Backward lunges on each led with weights (15 pound dumbbells)
    • 30 Running Men
    • 12 low row with a deadlift (15 pound dumbbells)
    • 12 knee tucks
    • 150 Meter Row (under 35 seconds)
    • 12 Sumo squats with an upward row (15 pound dumbbells)
    • 12 Backward lunges on each led with weights (15 pound dumbbells)
    • 30 Running Men
    • 12 low row with a deadlift (15 pound dumbbells)
    • 12 knee tucks
    • 12 hamstring curls
    • Ended finishing 50 meters before time was called.......
    Next was twenty-one minutes on the treadmill (everything was done with a 3% incline except for my all out):

    • 3 minutes at base pace (6 MPH)
    • 3 minutes at push pace (7 MPH)
    • 90 seconds at base pace (6 MPH)
    • Two minutes at push pace (7 MPH)
    • 1 minute at base pace (6 MPH)
    • 1 minute at push pace (7.2 MPH)
    • 1 minute at base pace (6 MPH)
    • 1 minute at push pace (7.2 MPH)
    • 1 minute at base pace (6 MPH)
    • 2 minutes at push pace (7 MPH)
    • 90 seconds at base pace (6 MPH)
    • 3 minutes at push pace (7 MPH)
    • 1 minute at base pace (6 MPH)
    • 1 minute at an all out pace (10 MPH)
    Like I said, this was a pretty solid workout. The biggest downfall of this workout is that I had my hair done earlier in the morning and all the sweat ruined my hair. I know, I know - lame. Tomorrow I'm mot likely hitting the gym after work. It's started to become my new ritual. It's typically empty and I get the whole place to myself. I'm hoping that new year's resolutions don't make too many people show up tomorrow. Totally kidding (kinda) - I'm all about supporting people in their journeys!! Until tomorrow - Happy Trails :)
     
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